This invention relates to a leaf funnel or adapter for a refuse compacting vehicle, more commonly referred to as a "garbage truck".
With the emphasis on anti-pollution, leaf burning is no longer tolerated in most communities. This has posed a problem of leaf removal and efforts have been made without success to transfer the leaves by use of a front-end loader bucket to the storage body or refuse storing chamber of a garbage truck. The garbage truck bodies are limited in width for travel over the roads whereas usually the width of the bucket of a front-end loader is somewhat wider. This has resulted in spillage of the leaves incident to the loading of the garbage truck requiring not only additional movement by the loader but generally even manual labor to make sure that all of the spilled leaves are removed from the storage pile--generally along a curb. In consequence, the common expedient has been more costly--using the front-end loader to put the leaves into a dump truck. Thus, no real compaction is possible and the leaf removal correspondingly expensive, viz., of the order of at least about 4-5 times based upon the lack of compaction.
Efforts have been made in the past to remedy this through the use of hopper-like adapters constructed of wood but without significant effect. According to the invention a uniquely designed funnel is provided, constructed entirely of metal and which is readily installed (when needed) into the access opening of the truck body. More particularly, the construction of the inventive funnel includes an angularly inclined rear wall and flanking sidewalls. The sidewalls adjacent the lower portions thereof are vertical and outwardly flared thereabove, preferably less than 50% of the overall height of the hopper. Additionally, the sidewalls adjacent their forward ends are equipped with flange means which serve to secure the hopper to the vehicle in rigid, stable fashion. By use of the instant invention, the compaction of wet leaves is particularly advantageous--squeezing moisture from the leaves and draining the same reduces the weight of the load to be transferred to the dump site.
Other objects and advantages of the invention may be seen in the details of the ensuing specification.